Chances as Curses
by MyPenNameIsThisThing
Summary: Sent out on a dangerous mission to capture and kill a high ranking Night Elf, Evelith finds herself in a bind when the Night Elf she was supposed to kill captures her instead. The only reason they keep her alive is so she can teach his stubborn son.
1. Chances as Curses

The commotion had all started early one morning. The bells of dawn had finished ringing not too long ago, and everyone in the large house was stirring, except the young lord's son. At the age of twenty, he was expected to be up like most of the young, hard working Night Elves his age, but he was a creature of arrogance, and though that it was his right to sleep in whenever he pleased.

He slept on, his dreams circling on mostly about beautiful Night Elf women, when a blood-curdling scream ripped through the air. Nialas' eyes popped open, and he heard the servants rushing past his door and running down the stairs. He could hear their whispers through the door. Normally, he would have ignored them, but now he was intrigued.

Nialas silently crept over and put his ear to the door.. Someone had gotten poisoned, eh? He didn't care. He jerked back just as door slammed open, and in stepped the commanding figure of his mother. "Nialas. I want you to get up and go into town for me." she said, her stern voice making cold shivers run down his spine. _This must be serious. _he thought as he pulled the thin cotton cover from his body. He was dressed in sleeping garments: A white sleeveless shirt, and gray cotton pants. He rubbed the sleep from his glowing blue eyes, and trudged to the door.

"What's happening out there?" he asked. His curiosity was eating at him, he just had to know.

"That is none of your concern." she said, her tone brooking no argument. Nialas could see through the open door that there was a group of people rushing up the large spiral staircase, and they were all helping to carry someone. Nialas strode over to the door and watched with feigned disinterest.

As they passed, he saw that this was an elf. Her dark hair covered her face and her neck, for it was really rather long. She had leather armor on, so there wasn't much to be seen, for much of her skin was covered. _If she survives, I shall really have to take a sharper look… _he thought, his mouth curling into a smirk. One of the people helping carry the sleek woman tripped on the sheet, and a pale ivory hand slid from under the sheet, and hung limp at the side.

Nialas' breath caught in his throat, and everyone faltered as he stepped forward and ripped the sheet off. His mother said his name in warning, but he ignored her as he gaped.

Nialas' eyes narrowed, and he looked at his mother. "You bring this scum into our house?" he hissed at her, pointing at the unconscious elf, who was slipping deeper and deeper into death's greedy hands. His mother pursed her lips but said nothing. Nialas was burning with rage, but before he could do anything, she was whisked away and the blood soaked sheet was left behind on the floor. Her eyes cracked, and she looked up at Nialas.

"Do you see what that is? Do you see that?" he asked, pointing down the hall as they rushed the young woman to see a waiting healer. His mother stood in front of him, her presence alone beginning to calm him down."Nialas, she is very sick." she said, her voice full of concern.

"She is the enemy." he spat, walking away from her and towards the window. He looked out of it. "Do you know what father would say to this? He would have our heads if-"

"Your father is the one who found her." she said, interrupting him with a stern look.

Nialas shook his head and stormed out of the room. He knew that he would find his father in the gardens. Indeed, he was still there. "Father!" he called, and stomped up to him. "You would let Horde scum into this house?" he asked, his voice full of hatred. His father did not respond for a few agonizing moments, and he let out a sigh.

"You have much to learn in this world. Compassion, my son, would be one of them." he said, the calmness in his voice making Nialas even angrier. He grabbed his father on the shoulder and turned him around. "You yourself are an admiral for The Alliance, and yet you let the very thing you fight against into our _home?_" he spat. He saw the anger in his father's eyes before he saw the swift hand that connected with his cheek.

"Many people die each day. Every opportunity for victories against death, we take. That victory, surely, is more important than whatever other victory you are concerned about." he said sternly. Nialas put a hand to his throbbing cheek, and then walked away, utterly defeated. _He is wrong. He is nothing but a sympathizer. _Nialas moped. _If he won't take care of this the right way, then I shall. _he resolved.

Once everything had calmed down, Nialas sat at the worn kitchen table as the servants hustled and bustled around him. He would take care of this mess, yes, but first he had to be patient. He asked for some breakfast and was quickly obliged. As he chewed on his toast, he began to plot.

- -

Evelith had began her day with a delicious meal of… cold, gray porridge with some sort of fruit on top of it. She scowled as she sat down on the cold ground and shoveled the bland stuff into her mouth. "Evelith?" a voice called her name. She looked up to find her commanding officer towering above her. She stood, bowed, and nodded."Reporting." she said, her voice full of respect.

"We have a mission for you. Report to my tent after breakfast, if you please." he said, and then dismissed her. Evelith went back to eating her disgusting breakfast. Eve grinned like an idiot as she ate the tart fruit that came with the breakfast. She would _finally _be getting an assignment. She gave the bowl back to the cook, who grunted and tossed the wooden bowl onto the ground.

She reported to the tent, and the tall Blood Elf was waiting for her. For a few moments, he had her back to her. She was about to announce her presence when he spoke.

"We have not received word from the last person we have sent. We assume that he is dead, and we need a... replacement. You are one of the finest rogues in this army, Evelith. So, for your mission you must kill Admiral Kaeluth…"

After Eve had received her orders, she mounted upon her Green Hawkstrider, and set out for Kaeluth's mansion, which was 30 miles to the east. The journey was long, but pleasant weather was her constant friend.

About two miles out from her destination, she dismissed her mount and began to ready herself. She began by carefully rubbing poision onto both of her daggers, and then making sure that her armor was perfect. The sun had not risen, and all was quiet around her save for the chirping of birds. Evelith took a deep breath and readied herself mentally. This was her first _real_ mission under her commander. She'd done mercenary work for years, but this was her chance to prove herself.

From there on out, she walked to her destination. It did not take long until she had the large house in sight. She slid into stealth and crept over the wall, landing silently. Eve was surprised to find that her target was standing in the gardens. From the looks of it, he was weaponless. Eve, trained to sniff out a trap, was finding that this mission was surprisingly... easy.

She stalked closer to him, her feet making no noise on the dewy morning grass. She was in the zone, ready to kill. Her hands clenched tighter around the hilt of her dagger as she crept closer.

"Nialas? You must be getting better at stealth, my son, I barely caught a glimpse of you." He turned and looked right in Eve's general direction, before looking her square in the eyes. She broke her stealth, and the older Night Elf nodded serenely.

"Ah, I should have known. Nialas is not yet as good as you are, young rogue."

With this, Evelith shot out towards him, daggers trained on his neck. Before they could render him headless, his fist caught her in the wrist and she watched as her dagger slid from her numb hand and into the hand of her enemy.

Eve darted backwards, putting space between the two of them. Suddenly, it dawned on the rogue. There was a real fight ahead of her, and there was a good chance she might not survive it. Adrenaline kicked in, and she renewed her attack on the enemy.

The admiral did not once call for his guards, nor did any of them spot the two fighting. Eve was worn down, there were numerous cuts all over her, and the effects of her own poison were starting to sink in. She had only been able to land one good-sized slash to his upper arm in all the time they had been fighting.

After one sound mistake, she knew it was over. Her foot faltered and she stumbled, and her enemy darted forth to land a crippling punch to her stomach. Her one remaining dagger went spinning out of her hands as she collapsed, unable to breathe. The world was spinning, and the poison was setting in.

Eve, beaten, lay on the ground and slipped from consciousness. Her last thought was to be grateful that she wouldn't feel her death.

- -

Nialas waited, watched, listened. He slept that night, but only for a few hours. He was waiting for his father to leave, so he could go upstairs and murder the monstrosity that lurked in his own home. '_How dare they!_' Nialas thought indignantly. His father was suffering from a lapse in judgement, he assured himself, and he would realize the truth once Nialas showed it to him.

Finally, in the dark hours of the late night, the house was quiet. The inexperienced rogue crept with a kitchen knife into the room where the enemy was healing. He had been listening to her struggle against the healers all day, screaming for someone to just kill her already. Well, Nialas was here to answer that request.

She was asleep on the bed, breathing so shallowly that Nialas had to pause to make sure he wasn't about to stab a dead body. He lunged towards the bed, knife trained right at her filthy heart, but instead of plunging through her chest, it plunged through the mattress.

"What, did you think I couldn't see you?" Her common was heavily accented. She could barely stand, he noticed, but she was ready to fight. Nialas stood, formally breaking his stealth.

"I'm here to fulfill that death wish of yours, scum." Poison dripped from his words, and he readied himself to spring, but stopped. She chuckled.

"I changed my mind. I might be prisoner here but that doesn't mean I can't do some damage." She was the one who launched across the room and punched him so hard in the jaw that he saw bright lights flash in front of his eyes. When he finally recovered enough to gather himself, she had the knife, and she looked like she was ready to use it. For the first time in a while, Nialas' confidence was fading.

"For fuck's sake, you really are nothing like your dad." Her voice was shaking. She was exhausted and totally beat, and yet she was besting Nialas with basic moves he should have remembered the counters to. He moved forward to retrieve his knife, but he ended up knocked on his ass. This was _not_ how this was supposed to go. He lunged at her a third time, and this time she managed to wheel him around, put him in a one-armed head lock with the kitchen knife pressed against his jugular. He flailed, but there was no breaking her hold. Even weakened, she was smart enough to subdue him in one move.

To Nialas' dismay and embarrassment, his father stepped into the room with a look that said murder. He wasn't sure if it was for him or the woman holding him hostage. Nialas was wracking his brain for answers. He _knew_ how to get out of this one, if only he could remember.

"Throw your weapon down or it's the end for him." She demanded. Nialas' father obeyed, gently tossing his weapon onto the bed. Nialas, in a sudden wave of intelligence, jerked his head back and grabbed for the knife as she stumbled backwards. He whipped around and plunged the knife into the first place he could: her stomach.

Nialas' father threw him away from the blood elf, who slumped to the ground and yanked the kitchen knife from where it lay buried. She began to bleed profusely, but Nialas was pulled from the room as his father called for the healer. He was satisfied, for she would surely die now.


	2. Rage

It was dusk, and the soft light of the setting sun played tricks on Nialas' eyes as he bore holes into the window with his eyes. He kept seeing shadows flit across the forest that sat outside his windows, but when he looked closer, he saw nothing. Finally, with a snarl, he turned away from the window and slammed his head onto the pillow, his self-pity rising up to engulf his mind. _'My father does not see reason.' _he thought, burying his face harder into the pillow, as if it could make it all go away.

Nialas would not be so upset if it weren't for the "talk" that his mother had with him. The one where if he did not "get his act together," then there was a chance that he would lose his inheritance. "Nialas, your pride gets too much in the way of your actions." she had said. Nialas had flat out denied it, but some deeper, more responsible side of him knew she was right. She had also told him that if the Elf in the next room died by his hands, then she would not be able to call him "son" any longer. The act of sheer, ignorant violence was "too much for her to bear."

This hit Nialas hard. He stood, and got close enough that their noses touched. "Trying to teach me compassion, mother?" he said, his words sliding like poison into the air. His mother had no answer that could soothe his anger, so she kept silent.

"Are you trying to make me see the reason in your words?" he said, louder this time. He pushed her shoulder, pushing her closer to the door.

"Reason is this, mother: What lies in the other room is scum, sent to kill your _family_. And you sit idly by as if she is an honored guest!" he yelled. He pushed her again. His mother raised a hand to smack him, but he caught her by the wrist and held it in the air.

"Nialas, it was not a threat." she said, ripping her hand from his grasp "It was a promise." she finished. She gave him an angry look and fled from the room, slamming the door behind her. Nialas took a glass cup and launched it at the door as hard as he could. It shattered into many pieces and the remains flickered in the setting sun.

Day one was the best, because Eve was floating in complete darkness, hearing whispers of people long gone. They promised safety and no more suffering. Evelith agreed to go with them, but they shook their heads. No, they said. Not time, they said. So Eve drifted away from them. In the very far distance, she heard snippets of words "Scum… Family… idly by…. Guest!" the voice came in and out of her head, so she drifted towards that. She deemed this the whisper day.

Day two was slightly worse. She was no longer aware of the comforting voices, just a dull ache and a sensation of falling. Eve still could not speak, her mouth was so… dry. She deemed this the silent day.

Day three was the worst of all for Eve. The falling sensation stopped, but the dull ache had become a roar of pain that bombarded all of her senses. But the worst was yet to come. When Eve opened her eyes and assessed the situation, the past few days came rushing back to her all at once. She groaned and opened her eyes more. To her left, she heard a sigh and she turned her head that way. A young Draenei man sat at her bedside, looking at her with relief. "You almost died, Elf." he said.

"Died?" Eve asked. Her voice was so weak, so distant. Eve would rather be dead at that moment than be alive. The healer nodded. He held a cup to her lips, full of some refreshing green liquid. She drank it like there was never anything she wanted more in the world, and when she was finished, she asked for more. He denied her any more. "If you drink too much, you'll just vomit it back up." he warned. Eve shut her eyes, unable to protest.

As the hours passed she was in and out of consciousness, but every time she opened her eyes she was alone. _'I should be escaping…' _She thought, although she knew it was useless. The window was probably locked, and she was in no state to move. She shut her eyes again, not wanting to think of the things that would happen if she _didn't_ escape.

When she opened her eyes it was sometime after dawn, and the healer was there again. He had a glass of water with him, and he set it on the table next to her. Sitting on the bed, he pulled the dressings on her stomach back to reveal the wound. Eve looked away, but the healer seemed very pleased by the progress.

"It is healing quickly. This is good, Elf." He said.

"It doesn't feel good." She muttered, her head still turned away. He chuckled and began redressing the wound. She kept her face a mask of concern to hide the stinging pain that afflicted her. When he was finished, she sighed to herself and turned back to face him.

"Thank you. You didn't have to be so kind." She said. He blinked, his eyes registering surprise, but as he placed the bloody dressings in the wastebasket he composed himself.

"You are very welcome. Can you sit up?" He asked, still a little flustered. Eve wondered if her comment hadn't been appropriate. Did he think her as the enemy too?

"I can try." She propped herself on her elbows and pursed her lips as the healer set up pillows behind her. She leaned back, wincing a little from the discomfort.

"Drink this." He handed her the glass.

"What is it?" She asked, taking it and sniffing it. The healer laughed.

"It's just water, elf." He said.

"Eve. You can call me Eve." She blurted. She didn't know why she had said it. He gave her an odd look, and she regretted it.

"My name's Nikodim, but Niko is okay." He said, giving her a kind smile. She returned it and downed the glass of water. Despite the fact that she had gone days without food, she didn't feel hungry. _'There was something in that green stuff that he gave me. That's probably why.'_ She mused.

_

Nialas stood next to the door, his ear pressed to the wood. Her words irritated him to no end. The kindness in her voice made him _sick_. If it were him, he would have killed himself instead of getting all kind with the healer. At least, that's what the soldier in him would want to do. Nialas had seen the wound on his father's neck. No novice could do that sort of damage. She was trained, and trained well. He listened to the healer caution her against walking until at least noon the next day. Then they exchanged more pleasantries.

Nialas got fed up with hearing the bullshit exchanges and left, returning to his room. He had long since cleaned up the glass shards from the floor, although the dent in his door was a reminder of his rage earlier that day. He flopped onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling and closing his eyes. He knew that training wasn't an option today. His father was still extremely angry with him, and avoiding him was probably the best idea he could think of. As he drifted off to sleep, he wondered what this stupid elf would do to his life.

When he woke it was dark out, and he noticed a figure in the room. He sat up, but it was only his mother.

"How long have you been here?" He asked.

"Not long. I wasn't going to wake you, but because you're up I have something for you to do." She said. It was impossible to read her face. He didn't know if she was very angry or very pleased. Nialas grew suspicious. When his mother began to speak, his world went gray. She wanted him to _what_? After she finished, he could only gape.

"I am _not _helping her walk. I am not helping her… anything." He said, at a loss for words. His mother stood, and went to leave. She paused in the doorway, not turning to look at him.

"I want you to remember what we talked about earlier." She said before leaving. Nialas scowled and leapt from the bed, making a grab for her, but she was out of his reach and halfway down the stairs before he could chase her. He looked down the hallway to where her door was. Niko stepped out of the room and passed Nialas, nodding to him. Nialas ignored him and went to the room, throwing open the door.

"Get up. We're going to walk the _dog_."

Nialas thought that his statement was very clever. _'Hah, the Dog. She'll like that.'_ he thought, feeling more than a little cocky. The look on her face was priceless. First, surprise. Then, hate. Her green eyes were so full of rage, he thought a stream of fire might come shooting out of them any minute. Nialas smiled sweetly, too sweetly, and walked into the room. Eve gripped the covers close to her.

"Get out so I can get dressed." she hissed, shooting him another angry look. Nialas rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I'll turn my back. Don't worry, your majesty." Nialas kept true to his promise and turned around while she dressed, but took advantage of the mirror that she did not seem to notice. He watched her remove the covers, keeping her eyes trained on him suspiciously, and she shook her hair out as she stood. Nialas was taken aback at her sleek beauty, but he was even more satisfied by the angry red wound across her stomach. It would surely become a scar in time, forever reminding her who did that to her.

When she was dressed, she told him it was safe to turn around. Nialas kept his face blank of his thoughts. _'She thinks I'm more proper than I really am. This should be fun.' _he thought, smirking in his head. "Let's go, it's getting dark." he ordered.

Eve shifted uncomfortably, holding her stomach as she stood. She was leaning heavily against the bed frame, but Nialas would not move to

help her. She moved across the room slowly, standing as straight as she possibly could.

Ni was no fool. He could tell she had immense trouble walking. When she was crossing the threshold into the hallway, she tripped. Nialas was prepared for this, and caught her. They were so close. She smelled of citrus, leather, and that foul tasting concoction Niko fed to all who were sick.

"Let go of me right now." she whispered. Nialas shook his head.

"How will you get down the stairs?" he asked her, again, too sweetly.

"I'll roll, Nialas." she said, sarcasm thick in her voice. Nialas laughed _'Roll right into my doom, yeah, right.' _That's when it all clicked for Nialas. His father saw this as an opportunity to teach him that cruelty wasn't always the right way. He looked down at her, his face showing just how surprised he was. Nialas had to commend his father on his cleverness, that was for sure.

After Nialas had successfully annoyed her by helping her down the stairs, Eve set him straight and dug her nail into his right arm. He yelped and sprang away from her, but she landed on her feet and leaned against the wall. "I told you to let me go." she said, turning away from him. They were in the kitchen. Eve vaguely remembered being rushed through here on her way up to the bedroom, thinking that she was going to die. Nialas grunted and flicked the blood away.

"I don't listen to you." he said, and scooped her up. She yelled, but before anyone could hear, he was already out of the door and running towards the cover of the trees. Nialas realized as he carried her that there was really not too much to carry. She was surprisingly light for the strength that she possessed.

He stopped in a clearing and dumped her onto the ground. She stumbled and backed up into a tree, her face turning white from the agony. This pleased Nialas, but she regained her composure and stood quickly. She shrugged, her hands shaking. Probably not from nervousness, he mused.

"What, are you going to kill me now? You can give it your best shot. I could have killed you three times over the other day, I can do it again." She threatened. Nialas didn't doubt her. She was incredibly skilled, and yet... she was brought so low. It enraged him that he could not even best her in her current state. He didn't want to see her healthy.

"No. My parents commanded me to help you walk, but not help you back." He crossed his arms and stood there, gauging her reaction. The young rogue shrugged. She reached upwards and in one swift motion, broke off a sizeable branch from the tree.

"Let's get going then." Nialas frowned as he turned towards the house. Bested again, but he would get her.

-_-_-

The next few days were spent in quiet solitude, except for the nightly "walks" she was forced to go on. Eve knew that her health was improving day to day, and that once she was well enough, she could finally escape.

She tried once, late at night when she thought everyone was sleeping. That was the day Nialas threw her over a cliff and into a lake, telling her that she smelled worse than an orc. She tried to drown him unsuccessfully. That was the first time she remembered laughing, when he broke the cleverly tied kelp knot and surfaced, looking like a fish as he sucked in lungfuls of air.

His indignant face flashed up behind her eyes when she tried to sleep that night, so she decided it was time to attempt escape. He was utterly repulsive, she thought, but if you threw a little water on him, he was actually a little bit adorable.

The day after her attempted escape, Kaeluth sat down and had a talk with the brooding rogue. There was a bruise under her eye from where one of his guards had punched her. Eve thought that this was finally the end, that he was here to tell her when her execution was, but instead...

"You want me to what?" Eve stood, looking at him as if he had just said he was Thrall's dancing monkey.

"I want you to train my son in return for your... safety here."

"If by safety, you mean captivity? I refuse. Your son is a pompous child, he will never amount to anything." Only half of this was a lie, Eve personally thought that Nialas had a lot of potential if he would only own up to it. The older elf let out a long breath.

"Of course. The choice is entirely yours. You may choose to train him, or you may choose to bear the pain of endless torture until you give information or die." He said this all in the tone of voice one would attribute to talking about a sunny day. Eve paled a little bit. Kaeluth pulled a bundle out from under the bed and placed it in front of her.

"Dawn, then."

Nialas was returning from town when his father pulled him aside and gave him so particularly revolting news.

"_Train_ me? I am not going to take orders from some... Blood elf scum!"

"Nialas, it's time that you took some responsibility in your life. You are a terrible rogue, and I've been hard pressed to find a trainer who doesn't fall prey to your attitude. You will train with her, and you will listen to her." His tone told him that there was no give on this subjected, so Nialas stormed from his father's study and back out into the woods.

He found himself at the cliff where the waterfall fell into the crystal-clear lake. He'd had a lot of good memories at this lake, but all day he could only think of one. More specifically, he could only think of the way that Eve's wet clothing stuck to her body after she crawled onto the shore cursing his very existence. He knew he shouldn't be attracted to her. He reasoned that an elf was an elf.

He didn't even particularly mind that she had almost succeeded in drowning him. She was down at the bottom of the lake, fiddling with something. As he went to investigate, she yanked him downwards and slipped a knot made of strong kelp over his ankle. He struggled valiantly, but the knot only seemed to get tighter. As he ran out of breath and started to see black, he saw Eve swim down and untie the knot with a flick of her wrist.

He broke the surface, sucking in buckets of air. Seconds later, Eve was treading water beside him, laughing. Her hair shone from the vigorous scrubbing she'd given it. After he had recovered himself, he finally found his anger.

"Did you think that was funny? I could have died. I could have drowned!" he yelled. When they had both crawled onto the shore, Eve sprawled out on the sand and chuckled.

"You know, you always look so indignant, Nialas, like a bug has crawled up your ass." She said, mimicking the way his face looked as he struggled underwater. He scowled.

"You always look like someone's pissed in your porridge." He retorted. Eve laughed at that, too. Nialas had to admit, she was beautiful when she laughed. It was the first time he had seen anything but anger or pain etched across her face.

They walked home in silence, neither one breaking the comfortable wordlessness that passed between them.

Later that night, as Nialas stripped the damp clothes off of his body, he could only think of the way Eve had been laughing. As he crawled into bed, he realized that he wasn't entirely dreading their training session tomorrow.

'_Damn her. Damn her for everything.'_


	3. The Feared as Teachers

Evelith rolled around in the bed to face the sun, whose pale morning rays were just rising above the horizon. She sighed, and closed her eyes out of boredom. Her mind flitted across various subjects before landing on one: _'Nialas.' _thought the young Blood Elf wearily. It had been two weeks since she had first been able to get up and move around and due to the wonders of elfish healing, the once angry red scar was reduced to nothing but a pale, jagged line that cut across her upper stomach. Evelith traced a hand over it, looking down at her stomach with a slightly bitter feeling in her chest.

Finally, she tired of sitting there, and swung her legs over the bed. Her feet touched the cold, unforgiving floor, and she shivered. Mornings were _not _Evelith's favorite. She stood and pulled on her cotton pants, and then proceeded to open a large chest that sat next to the bed. Inside was her set of leather armor, which she pulled on with a scowl. _'"You are a skilled rogue, Eve." he says. "I have done more for you than any other Night Elf would…" he says. "You must train my son or I'm afraid that my word might slip at the next meeting about the whereabouts of a certain… enemy to the alliance." he says. Oh he's so sly. So damn sly.' _thought Eve bitterly. Yes, in return for letting her live, Nialas' father had made her swear that she would teach his son. Evelith _happily_ agreed… then tried to escape that very night. Unfortunately for her, he had predicted this and when she was caught by a hunter guarding the grounds, she spat at her feet and trudged back to the house in as much of a dignified manner as she could muster.

'_I should die rather than work for them.'_ she thought, pulling on her boots and lacing them up. She snatched a jeweled dagger from under the bed, whose hilt glittered furiously in the morning sun, and swung the door open, to find a stony faced Nialas. Evelith scowled and pushed him out of her way.

"You're late, you know. You're always late." he said, trailing her. Eve ignored him and trampsed down the stairs into the kitchen, which was already bustling with the work of preparing breakfast.

"I'm not really _inclined _to listen to the rules, Nialas. Especially ones laid down by you." she snapped, grabbing a warm roll from a basket on the counter. Eve spread butter onto it, and then bit into it savagely. Nialas sat across from her, much to her dismay.

"Well, if I'm to have a _life, _I have to make _sacrifices_." said Nialas, who was examining his nails. Eve looked at him wearing a bored expression, and rolled her eyes, still chewing.

"Do I have to remind you who is teaching who?" she said, sarcasm thick in her voice. Eve examined his armor, and nearly spit her breakfast out.

"What are you wearing?" she asked, stunned by his apparent ignorance. Nialas looked up at her surprised.

"The best armor that anyone can buy. Jealous?" he said, obviously taking offense to her shrewd comment. _'Bitch. That's a new one.'_ thought Eve, who was now seething.

"Do you really think that you'd survive one minute against someone on a real battlefield? Or are you just too much of an idiot to see what's wrong?" she asked, standing up and slamming the roll down on the table. Nialas, too, stood and dominated her by a foot at least.

"There is nothing wrong with what I'm wearing! Compared to mine, yours doesn't even deserve to wipe the _floors_!" he spat, and almost instantly he regretted his words. With a snarl, Eve was on him in seconds. She threw him to the ground, where Nialas was quickly trying to get back up, but to no avail. Eve punched him in the stomach hard, and he laid still as the breath was knocked out of him. She shoved his hands behind his back and made clever use of Nialas' frame by using his own bodyweight to pin his hands behind him.

"Mop the floors…" Eve was muttering as she untied the strings to the front of his armor. Nialas was stunned. Was she… coming on to him? "Best that money can buy…" Eve muttered. Just as soon as she had undone his chest piece, she was lacing it right back up again. When she finally climbed off of him, Nialas could hardly breathe. The way she had set his armor on him was so tight. He stood and, with a scowl, tried to undo the knot that she had so skillfully tied, but he was interrupted by a deep voice.

"Good luck trying to get that knot out, Nialas. And I wouldn't, if I were you. That is the perfect way to use that armor." said his father, who now stood behind a disgruntled Eve, who was eating the rest of her roll and blatantly ignoring Nialas' father. Nialas let out a frustrated sigh.

"I can't breathe. What use is armor that restricts my breathing?" His father chuckled and pointed to his pants and his boots."I suggest you do the same to the rest of your wear before she does it for you." said Nialas' regal father, motioning to where a rather angry Evelith sat. Eve shot him an angry look, and Nialas knew that despite the difference in genders, she _would _do it if she was provoked.

By the time Nialas trotted into the empty field they were using to practice, he was already a half an hour late. Eve didn't seem to care, though. She faced him, and with no warning at all, ran at him. Nialas reeled and ducked a punch that she threw at him, and gave a half-hearted swing back at Eve, who only continued to barrage him with attacks. It went on like this for hours, with the occasional pause for a break, and for Eve to critique him. Of course, Eve had _lots _to say about what was wrong with him, so critique-time was longer than breaks. Nialas would be a liar when he said that he wasn't challenged by Eve, whose skill rivaled only that of his father's. Finally, when the sun was high in the sky, Nialas sighed.

"Okay, so when's the next training session?" said Nialas, loosening his gloves. He was completely exhausted, and all his muscles were screaming for rest. But Eve only laughed at him, and motioned for him to stop loosening his gloves."Oh, we're not finished, and we won't be for a while yet." she said, wiping the sweat off of her brow. Nialas gaped at her.

"Not finished? What do you mean not finished! It's nearly noon, we've been here for _hours_!" Nialas raged. Nialas felt positively _disgusting. _There was dirt everywhere on him, and he had been sweating like a pig for a long time now. He was sure he looked revolting. Eve, however, did not see his side of things.

"We are not done, Nialas. You have much to-" Eve was cut off by her own growl, which would have been a scream if she had not been prepared. Immediately, she whipped around, only to find a water elemental streaming towards her. Eve knew her weapon was not fit to fight such an enemy, so she grabbed Nialas' and ran towards the attacker, which happened to be a Mage. Eve pulled a fine powder from a bag at her side and threw it in the void walker's eyes, and the roiling mass of water hissed in agony. Blinding powder was useful, but it's time was short-lived. Eve knew hers was too, if she didn't stop the ice that seemed to surge through her veins. She was rapidly sinking into unconsciousness, but it was not the spell that brought her to the ground, it was Nialas.

"Kirintris, stop! Stop!" she heard, but Eve was struggling to throw Nialas off of her.

Suddenly, she felt the weight of the spell lifted from her body, and her vision cleared. The human, who had a scruffy looking goatee, was looking confusedly at Nialas. "Get off, Nialas, get _off!_" Eve yelled, shoving Nialas off of her. Nialas stumbled forward and grabbed the warlock's shoulders. Kirintris now pointed his dagger at her throat, but Eve just stared at him with the very look of death in her eyes. Nialas pushed the sharp point of the dagger away from Eve and shook his head."I can explain, Kirin. She will not harm us." Nialas said, and the warlock put his staff in the holder in the back, and his elemental returned faithfully to his side. The mage, Kirin, sighed and stepped away from Eve, who was now standing. "You'd better, Nialas. Well, let's not keep your father waiting." murmured the mage, who seemed glad that he didn't have to fight the rogue. Nialas hesitated, and then shook his head.

"You know the way back, I must go wash up, my mother would have a fit if she saw me in the house like this." explained Nialas, gesturing to the dirt and grime that covered him. Kirin nodded, and set off. When Nialas turned to address Eve, he found her already trudging in the general direction of the lake. Nialas followed her, setting a brisk pace so as to catch up to her.

"You don't have to be that rude to everyone here, you know. You should be grateful-" Nialas was cut off quickly by Eve.

"Shut up, Nialas, just shut up!" yelled Eve, causing a few startled birds to fly from the nearby tree. Nialas stopped, and was surprised to see a tear roll down her cheek. Was she _crying? _Nialas had a surprised look on his face, which she could not see because her back was turned to him. The humanity in him told him that he felt bad, but the Alliance part of him told him that he should take advantage of the weakness. Fortunately for Eve, the kinder part of him won over.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you would…" he stuttered quietly, not really knowing what to say. There was nothing but deafening silence between them, and he heard the splat of tears on dried leaves. Eve said nothing back to him, only cried silently."Evelith, look, I…" Nialas couldn't continue, so he put a light blue hand on her shoulder and gently turned her around. What he was faced with filled him with remorse. Eve's startlingly green eyes were even _greener_, and Nialas couldn't help but appreciate her beauty. The black hair, which was messy from so many hours of training, and her oval shaped face, with lips that curved perfectly. Nialas, acting on a sudden whim, enclosed his arms around her. Eve, too, was stunned, but she did not resist.

"What are you doing?" murmured Eve, whose voice was muffled by his chest.

"I don't know." Nialas answered, shaking his head.

And that was that. They stayed there in the middle of the woods, holding each other. Finally, Eve broke away and they traveled to the lake together, still silent. When they at last reached the lake, Eve began to untie the rather intricate working of her armor. When she was left in only her under-things, she walked into the water, and then seemed to sink to the bottom. Nialas disrobed as well, having trouble with the knot Eve tied, and then dove into the water. Nialas stole a glimpse at Eve, who was at the bottom, laying against the sand with a rock sitting on her stomach. Nialas allowed her the privacy, and swam to another portion of the lake.

Eve let bubbles escape from her mouth, and smiled a little as they tickled her face and rose up to the surface. But Eve was smiling because of the encounter that she had just had. Eve finally felt a sense of security in Nialas, not because he had hugged her, but simply because he cared. Eve stared up at the surface of the lake, which was shimmering in the afternoon sun, and felt an odd sense of peace. '_I better wash up quick.'_ she thought. She pushed the rock off of her stomach, grabbed a handful of white sand, and scrubbed her entire body, watching the grime slide off of her with satisfaction. She then moved to her hair, which was like black smoke roiling around her face. She scrubbed her hair until she was sure it would fall out if she cleaned it anymore.

Finally, when she broke the surface, she found that Nialas was beached on the grassy part of the shore, drying in the sun. Eve joined him, only separated by a few inches.

"Why?" asked Eve. Eve knew that Nialas knew exactly what she was talking about. He did not stir, though, and there was a lengthy pause before he responded.

"I don't know. I just did. Stop bothering me about it." he answered, and the answer gave Eve no satisfaction whatsoever. Eve quickly rolled on top of him, and Nialas opened his eyes with a start and looked at her, very confused.

"Tell me why, lover boy?" she said, a mischievous smile on her face. Eve had said this hoping to elicit an angry response from Nialas, and she got one. He shoved her off of him and stood quickly, putting the armor back on messily.

"Do you want an answer?" He asked. She did not respond, just stood and began dressing herself as well. When she was done, he faced her.

"I don't hate you. That's why." He said. That was as far as he would go to explain himself.

"One day, when your father knows that you have learned all that you can from me, he will kill me." Eve informed Nialas. Nialas simply stared at her, but Eve did not even so much as glance at him. "And it's best not to get involved with… anything. We will be better off hating each other, Nialas." she said, turning away. Nialas frowned. He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. She was visibly shaking, and looked on the verge of another uncharacteristic breakdown. Nialas bit his tongue, and let go. Eve turned away and pulled on her fingerless leather gloves.

Eve knew that in this moment, she could have easily escaped and gone running back to the Horde encampment, assuming it was still _there._ But she, too, was vulnerable, and dared not venture into the woods in the blinding daylight, where even the most skilled rogue found it hard to stay invisible. She silently trailed behind Nialas, who led the way. Halfway there, there was a high whistling sound, and an arrow dug itself into the ground before her. It had a note attached to it, and Eve quickly snatched it up before Nialas noticed.

The sun still high in the sky, they both retreated to their respective rooms, and the doors slammed shut. Eve stripped off her dirty leather armor and sat on the bed, hurriedly untying the note to take a look at it.

_"Evelith, it has come to my attention that you have been captured. I'm sure that sending you this note is very dangerous, but I feel it is necessary. _

_I have discussed the matter with Thrall himself, and it seems that you have become both a great danger to us and a great asset. You look as if you are perfectly healthy, and that is the best we can hope for in the days to come. As a loyal member of the Horde, we expect you to use every advantage that you have to help us._

_I will be very blunt with you, now, as it seems the room I have on this letter is short. We wish you to find any information about the Alliance's attack on Scourge or Horde, and report it to us. We will know where to find you, but we will only come when you are alone. After you find out all the information you can, you must kill the Admiral and his son. If need be, then you may kill the Admiral's wife as well._

_Fail to do this, and you will be considered a danger to the Horde, and thus, shall be treated as such. In other words, if you fail, then I would go somewhere that nobody can find you._

_I hate to do this to you, for I should have known that you were not skilled enough to go into this fight alone, yet I sent you. The best of wishes to you…" _

At the bottom of the letter there was an illegible signature, and Eve sat with her mouth agape, staring at the piece of parchment with utter surprise. So surprised had Eve been, in fact, that she did not see the faded form of Nialas sneak up in front of her and snatch the parchment from her hands. Eve gasped and reached for it, but Nialas was already reading it. Eve tackled him.

"That's mine!" she hissed, putting a hand over his eyes so he could not see. Nialas bit her hand and she yelped. Eve wrestled the paper from his hands and threw it into the fireplace where it burst into flames almost immediately. Nialas ran towards the fireplace and grabbed at the paper, but stopped as he realized it was a lost cause. He turned to Eve, who was looking extremely relieved, and frowned.

"What was on that paper?" He asked. She rolled her eyes.

"It's something my mother gave me before I left to serve Thrall. It was personal. I'd rather see it burn than you read it." She said. Nialas stormed out of the room, and Eve sighed heavily. He had bought it. Good.

_

Nialas' mother caught up with him almost as soon as he left her room.

"What were you doing in there?" She gripped his wrist hard. Nialas reacted as if he had seen something disgusting crawled over his mothers' face and she let go of his wrist, seeming satisfied by his reaction.

_D: That's it for now. But the next chapter is coming right away. Enjoy it, these are the last ones of THIS book._


	4. Happiness turned Fear

Warning: DIS GON' GET STEAMY.

Not that you haven't been expecting that. I _did _rate it M.

Love it while it lasts, this COULD be the last chapter. We'll see.

Another two weeks had passed since the letter incident, and Nialas had been away for a majority of the time. His father and him had been taking daily trips back to the nearest town. During these long days, Eve was left with nothing to do. She had, however, made friends with a shaman that served as a guard around the house. It was just past dinner time, and Eve figured that he was on her shift, so she climbed out from her window (dressed in normal clothes, for once) and dropped to the grassy ground. The sun was setting dully from behind the clouds, and Eve took this as a good sign. Rogues always hated direct daylight, it was their worst enemy.

Eve spotted the shaman, Daeleros, and strode over to him. Dael spotted him and waved. He was not surrounded by totems, as Eve had seen most Alliance shamans in her day, but that was besides the point now. Dael clapped her on the shoulder, and laughed."So silly, you are. Can't you just come out the door?" he asked, gesturing towards the front entrance. Eve shook her head."Ah, no! That would be the long way." she said, laughing with him. Dael looked into the forest, as he usually did, but found that there was no danger, and looked back at Eve.

"Dael, I need to bathe, and I know nobody will permit me to go alone, so find someone to go with me or I think I'll die from smelling myself." she exaggerated, fanning her face. Dael laughed, and motioned eastward, to where the lake was.

"I'll go with you, nobody is going to be there today anyway, there is no need to patrol it anymore." He said, beginning to walk off. Eve became uncomfortable, but followed anyway. When she caught up, she voiced an obvious concern.

"You haven't noticed, then, the difference between us? Or is it because I smell too much like a man?" she asked, laughing nervously. Dael waved it away and continued walking.

"I have already pledged myself to another girl, Eve, there is no need for worries. I will look away, but don't try disappearing." he warned. Eve sighed, and felt relieved.

The wash had been quick, because Dael wanted to get back to his post. Not that Eve wanted to stay, the water was cooling as the sun set. The walk back was silent, but not awkwardly so, because both Draenei and Blood Elf had their mind on different things. Eve was thinking about two things: How much she needed to form a plan to kill Nialas… and how much she didn't want to do it. Eve, for once, was planning on disobeying orders. Eve was in denial as to why. She knew it was because of Nialas. Over the small amount of time that she spent with him, she knew she was growing closer to him. It was undeniable. _'It's not happening, really. I'd… I'd know what it feels like. Love is impossible, I am a soldier… I…'_ she thought. But she couldn't deny it any longer. No, the looks they gave each other when nobody was looking was not friendship any longer.

"Daeleros, what is it like to be in love?" she asked, suddenly doubting herself. She had been through this before, shouldn't she know? Dael wasn't surprised about the question, and did not deny answering her.

"Well, Evelith, it's not something that can be defined, really. You just know. Why such a sudden question?" he asked, looking at her with a questionable look on his face. Eve shrugged, and looked back at him.

"Just wondering."

"How can you speak common so well?" asked Dael. Eve was taken aback. What kind of question was _that_? "I learned common when I was in school, when I was very young. They teach all blood elves common when we are very little."

"I see." was all that Dael said.

Soon, they were back at the house, and Eve bade goodbye to Daeleros, and climbed back into her designated room. With a long sigh, she hauled herself through the window and stood. When she finally glanced at the room, she saw that Nialas was facing the window. She noticed that he seemed a little more… older than before. There were lines on his face that hadn't been there before. Eve didn't get a chance to say anything, Nialas rushed forth and pulled her to him. Eve slid into the comfort of his arms, finally glad that he had come back.

"I realized something while I was away." he muttered into her ear. Eve smiled and she wrapped her arms around him in turn.

"What is that?" she asked, her voice muffled.

"I hate being away from you." he whispered, and she felt his arms tighten slightly. Eve was disgruntled. She pushed back and looked up into his face.

"We've known each other for a few weeks. Do you think that is enough time, Nialas, for such affection to stir?" she asked, looking up into his eyes, searching for the truth. Nialas' eyes narrowed, and instead of speaking, he kissed her. Eve felt her heart swell, her entire body reacting to him. _'Oh god,' _she thought, _'I want this. I swear I want this.' _she thought. Nialas pinned her against the wall and his hands immediately began to wander, caressing every curve.

Nialas picked her up and Eve wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked with her to the bed, where he placed her down. They _both _knew where this was going, and what sort of trouble it could get them into. Nialas stopped only to remove his shirt, and when Eve felt skin brush skin, she was confused, when did her shirt come off? It didn't matter, though, because soon they were completely naked with each other. Eve smirked against his lips as she felt him against her thighs, hard.

"You know.. What would happen if - ah!" Eve was interrupted by the hot, flowering pleasure in her stomach. She arched her back with a gasp as he moved inside her.

"I know," he whispered in her ear, his voice hot with passion. Every time their hips rammed together, Eve thought she would _die _it felt so good. Nialas trailed his hand down from where it was knotted in her hair and pressed against her lower stomach. Eve gasped as the pressure he applied increased what she felt. Eve cried out as she felt herself hit her peak, and shuddered as the feeling spread throughout her whole body. Nialas nibbled on her collar bone as he pounded heavily into her, but stopped to whisper something in her ear.

"Too much?" he asked in a mocking tone. Eve shook her head against the pillow, looking at him with misty eyes. Nialas looked back at her with a smirk, his white teeth gleaming in the darkness that was claiming the room. He kissed her again, running his tongue across her lips.

"Maybe I should… stop?" he teased, slowing down. Eve groaned and shook her head, desperate for _more._ When he didn't respond, she shoved his shoulder and rolled, and landed with her straddling him.

"You want to play like that?" she whispered, her nose touching his. She had his wrist pinned to the pillow behind him with her hand. Nialas stared up at her, utterly shocked that the tables had turned so quickly.

"You'll be begging in a second, trust me." she whispered hotly, kissing the lobe of his ear. Eve rocked her hips, slowly at first. Nialas moaned and put his hands on her hips, guiding her. Eve gave another pleasured cry as she hit a second climax, and Nialas broke out in another mocking smile.

"Still too much?" he whispered, looking up at her. _'Thinks he's in control… still…'_ she thought. Eve kissed him to shut him up, nibbling on his lip. His hands cupped her breasts, stroking her nipples with his thumb.

Eve began moving her hips more now, which made Ni throw his head against the pillows. Eve took this as a good sign, and moved harder against him. Ni moaned, and Eve kissed his neck, which was slick with sweat, like the rest of him, and all of her, too. Eve sat up, causing him to push farther into her. Nialas' hands once found their way to her hips. Nialas rocked her against him, letting a stifled moan escape his lips."Oh, god, Eve!" he cried. Eve felt the hot, wet substance pour inside her, and she bit her lip as Nialas' nails dug into the skin of her hips. Eve smiled down at him. Nialas, who took everything as a challenge, flung her down next to him.

"I want to hear _you _beg_, _Evelith." he said, his breath hot against her cheek. Eve kissed him, and smiled

"Well, that'll neve-" she was interrupted. With one strong arm, he pinned her arm against the pillows behind her. His free hand roamed around her chest, her stomach, even her sides.

"So beautiful. Soft." he said, lightly rubbing his hand around her stomach. Eve smiled at him, loving the tickle of his hair on her stomach. He lingered on the scar that he gave her, seeming a little… remorseful. Nialas' hands slipped lower and lower, and it was then clear to Eve what he wanted to do. She gave a muffled 'mmf' as he slid two fingers inside of her. What ensued was absolute _bliss. _Eve was brought to the edge and back again by Nialas' understanding of her. She couldn't count how many times she told him to _please _not stop. When he finished with her, Eve was out of breath and exhausted. She had never known anybody who could draw that sort of pleasure from her. He released her hands and brought her close to him.

Nialas sighed, and looked at her. Eve looked back up at him. Nialas smiled, and then he laughed. Eve didn't know what he was laughing at, but she laughed too. She laughed because of the ridiculousness of the situation, the fact that only a few weeks ago he was trying to _kill _her. When their laughter died down, Nialas looked out of the window. Eve was content to just watch him, and eventually she was lulled to sleep by his rhythmic breathing.

When Eve woke up the next morning, she was wrapped in the safety of the comforter, but she was alone. Eve was not entirely surprised, she kind of expected these things of Nialas. Surprisingly, she wasn't bitter about it. She snuggled closer to the sheets, but soon rolled out of bed. She put all of her armor on, preparing to begin her training of Nialas. She sighed dreamily, and was excited to get things started that day.

She skipped down the stairs, ignoring the confused stares of others. What did they know, anyway? Was it a crime for Eve to be happy, for once?

For weeks, it went on like this. Nialas' father had ultimately decided that taking him into town was a bad idea, and since he was coming along so _well _in his lessons, he had no reason to. Of course, half the lessons that Eve and Nialas spent together were spent on teaching each other how to induce the sweetest of things out of each other. One night, they snuck out, giggling as they crossed into the forest. They sat in a tree together, pointing out stars and telling each other stories.

"Nialas?" whispered Eve, tracing the line of his jaw with her forefinger.

"Hmm?"

"That star is you." said Eve, pointing to a brilliant star that twinkled in the night sky. Nialas chuckled, and shook his head.

"No, Eve. That star is _you._" he said. They argued back and forth about it, as lovers do, and when the stars began to fade, they snuck back into the house and grabbed a few precious hours of sleep.

When Eve woke that afternoon, however, she sat up and immediately reached for the waste basket. She retched everything from her stomach into the basket, coughing and throwing up the non-digested mass that sat in her stomach. She wiped her mouth and spat in the can. She stood, nauseated, and drank water from the glass that she left on the desk the night before. Just then, a maid of the house walked in, and looked at Eve with concern.

"Evelith, what have you been eating?" she asked, putting the basket full of fresh linens down. Eve shook her head.

"I don't know, I just feel sick all of the sudden." she muttered. She sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. The maid sighed and instructed to lie down. Eve obeyed, groaning at her protesting stomach.

"I'm going to touch your belly, is that alright?" she asked. Eve nodded. She felt hands putting pressure in various places, and when the hands wandered lower, Eve opened her eyes and looked at her curiously. She pressed down on a tender spot and Eve gasped, smacking her hands away.

"That hurt." she said, sitting up and rubbing her lower stomach. The maid nodded, looking concerned, and stood again.

"It is... merely a... stomach ache. You'll be okay in a few hours." she said. She grabbed her basket full of linens, and rushed out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Eve raised an eyebrow and lay back down on the bed, confused. Why was she so flustered over a simple stomach ache, wondered Eve.

Minutes later, she heard a booming voice echo throughout the house, calling Nialas. Eve heard Nialas' door open and promptly close. She smiled and closed her eyes, thinking of Nialas. Her sweet thoughts were soon interrupted by a bout of clangs and yelling. She could not discern what they were saying, and only caught snippets of the verbal battle. Soon after, she heard two sets of feet bounding up the stairs.

"Stay away from her! You don't know what you're talking about!" yelled Nialas. The door to Eve's room slammed open, and Nialas' father stepped in, a knife in his hand, and lunged for the bed. Eve screamed and rolled away just in time. The dull thud of the knife hitting the mattress reverberated through the room. Nialas tore his father away from the knife and yelled for Eve to leave. Nialas' father threw Nialas off of his shoulders and grabbed the knife. He lunged again for Eve, but she was not ready for it. She raised her arms, expecting the searing pain of a knife to enter her arms, but when she felt nothing, she looked up. Nialas had stepped in front of the path of the knife, and it was embedded in his chest. His father looked surprised, and Nialas' eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped to the ground, clutching the knife in the hand of his unharmed arm. Eve reacted swiftly, and punched Nialas' father in the temple, knocking him out cold.

Evelith dropped to the ground and shook Nialas to consciousness.

"Nialas? Nialas!" she screamed. She ripped the dagger from his hands, and he groaned. Examining the weapon, her stomach dropped. _'So much poison__. Oh my god.' _she thought, her blood going cold. This particular poison, which was hard to get a hold of, was known for its staggering death rate. The victim's veins would eventually turn to ice, and they would die very painfully. Nialas groaned again, and his shoulder began to turn blue. Eve's hands shook and she planted a kiss on his already cold lips.

"Eve, I'm dying. Oh god, I'm dying. I…" he whispered at her. Eve shook her head.

"No, I'll make this better. I promise. I'll make it better. Just stay here. Stay here, Nialas." she said. Eve jumped up, and threw her armor on, forgetting about her usual routine of lacing it tightly. She rushed past Nialas, but he grabbed her ankle.

"Stay. Please. Stay." he whispered, shaking. Eve bent down, kissed him again, and took his hand away from her ankle.

"I'll be back. I promise. I will." she said. The last she saw of Nialas was the sight of him taking the dagger and plunging it into the back of his unconscious father. Eve bounded out of the house, throwing a cloak on over herself. She mounted the nearest horse she saw, and kicked the sides of the brown mare. It whinnied and broke out into a run. The horse blew past the gate in a blur of brown and gray.

_'Where do I go? Who do I go to?'_ she wracked her mind for answers, but none of them were the right answers. She knew the answer, although she didn't want to think of the answer.


	5. The End

Eve ran.

Eve ran and ran and ran without break. She did not eat, and she certainly did not stay on the main roads. She skirted them like it was her job, and that was how she avoided capture many times. She traveled North, where she knew Undercity lay, the only place she could quickly get where she had to go. On the end of the second day, she entered Tirisfal, and had to walk from there. The body of the mare was somewhere far off. She had died of exhaustion a long time ago.

She pulled the hood over her face, and quickly entered Lordaeron. She was not harangued by any guards, something she silently thanked the stars for. When she stepped into the Trade Quarter, she ducked out of the way of many familiar faces, all of whom did not recognize her. Eve strode purposefully towards the Bat Handler, who did not see her until she stepped out of the shadows.

"I need to fly somewhere." she whispered to him. He seemed surprised.

"Why the shadiness, stranger?" he asked. Eve could barely understand what he was saying, it seemed like his vocal chords were rotting too…

"Because. Will you give me a bat?" she whispered, her eyes looking back and forth to see who was around. The bat handler scowled.

"Depends. Where are you going?" Eve winced. _'Give me a break, please.'_ she urged him with her mind. Of course, it didn't help any. She wasn't a telepath, he couldn't hear her.

"Acherus: The Ebon Hold." she replied quickly. The Bat handler jumped back with a rather nasty frown on his face.

"I don't know what business you have there, stranger, but I'm not… wait…" he said. Eve noticed that he had glimpsed the jeweled hilt of the dagger that was strapped to her waist. Eve scowled and thrust it into his hand.

"Now give me a bat… and that loaf of bread over there." she said, pointing to a large hunk of bread that sat moldering on the table. The handler shuffled over to the thing and gave it to her. Then he smacked a bat off where it hung, sleeping, and bade her to get on it. The Handler whispered something in its ear, and then she was off. She bit around the moldy parts of the bread as she flew.

The journey was rough, and took a little over 8 hours, but when she arrived, she would have preferred to stay on the bat. The bat landed her _in _the hold. She rolled off of it and lay still on the stone floor as it scurried away. Then she felt something cold on her neck. She looked up, and found that there was an orc pointing a runed sword at her throat.

"What is it that you want, dirty blood elf?" he asked. His voice was hollow. Eve shivered."I need to see Arthas, please." She pleaded, her own voice shaking. The orc laughed a mirthless laugh, another thing that sent shivers down her spine.

"Do you think tha-" the orc stopped, and appeared to be hearing a voice that Eve could not hear.

"Follow me." he said. He took the sword away from her throat, and hauled her up by the upper arm. Stumbling, she followed him. Her mind was utterly blank, save for the cold, hard fear that was wrapped about it. As they ascended the stairs that overlooked the town below it, she blanched.

"Your… visitor, my liege." murmured, the Orc, in awe of him. He backed out of the chamber. The King did not stir, did not turn to look at her, and did not utter a word. Eve was about to speak, but he held up a commanding hand, and she quickly shut her mouth.

"I know why you are here." he said, his voice echoing throughout the hall. Eve shivered. The cold that his voice sent through her body was the worst she had ever felt. He continued speaking.

"You did me a favor by killing him, Eve. Your commander wasn't the only one sending assassins." He gave a little chuckle, which was full of malice.

"Nialas is dead, and so is his father. Nialas shared the poison with his father for you. He thinks you are dead as well, but I'm sure he is in for a rude awakening when he gets to-" Eve could take no more.

"Please! Save him. Save Nialas! I have nothing left to give you, but I'll give you anything. I'll kill whoever you want, just please bring him back to life!" she pleaded, tears splashing down her face. The Lich King did not respond, just glanced at her.

"Pathetic." he whispered, but she heard it clear as day. He seemed to be thinking.

"I have heard of you, Evelith, and your skills as a rogue. You say you will give me anything for his life?" he asked. Eve nodded vigorously, looking up at him in awe. The Lich King nodded.

"We have a deal." he said, and again let his maniacal laugh ring throughout the hall. Eve could utter nothing as some force gripped her mind, causing her to freeze. She felt like the life was being sucked out of her.

Nialas had been having a _grand _time in the land of the dead, seeing old friends, family members who had died long ago, and even his own _father._ They crossed the bridge together, talking like they hadn't talked in years. Nialas, unlike every other person there, wasn't _truly _happy, he was plagued by some nagging sensation that told him he should be looking for something. That, and there was a rather curious thing happening. He kept hearing a name in his head. It whispered _'Eve'_ every time he wasn't listening to anything else. He ignored it. There was no Eve here.

One day, he saw his mother, too, and was glad. She hugged him, with tears in her eyes. After this, being dead was a wonderful thing. There was no sadness in death, there was no need to eat in death, there was no need to sleep in death. It was lovely…until he heard the whispering.

It began as a small nuisance, like a bug buzzing around his ears. Nialas ignored it. Then it grew louder and louder. Finally, it was hard to ignore, and he tried to tell his father what was happening, but his father only shook his head, sadness evident in his old eyes. Then, the buzzing spread through his whole body, and Nialas screamed. He screamed as was unwillingly dragged back to life. He tried to hang onto the peace of death, but the harder he struggled against it, the quicker it pulled him back.

He felt himself in strange hands, he opened his eyes, and the scene that was in front of him horrified him. He could see a woman he barely recognized in a jail cell, holding her stomach and crying.

He was then flung from the scene and into his body, which was painful. As his heart began beating, he pried open his cold eyes, and stared into the scared eyes of his living family around him.

_

Cold. Cold as she never felt before, infiltrating her mind, her body, her very soul. She opened her eyes, and saw the ghost of Nialas looking at her.

"Nialas? Nialas!" Eve reached out, but he was gone. She let the emotional agony she felt bleed into her eyes.

"You got your wish, Evelith! He is alive." Eve cast her eyes aside and let the cold take over her body.

_

LOL There. Shitty chapter, I know. But I am going to be posting the sequel soon, so don't worry.


End file.
